Kaduna: The Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KADSAMHSA) has announced plans to institutionalise community-based outreach programmes aimed at curbing HIV and hepatitis among women who use drugs. This was revealed by the Director-General, Dr. Joseph Ike, during the opening of a three-day Linking and Learning Meeting, which focused on sustaining harm reduction efforts amidst changing funding landscapes.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Ike highlighted the challenges faced by women who use drugs in Northern Nigeria, noting that cultural barriers make them a hard-to-reach group. Citing data from the UNODC and Federal Ministry of Health, he pointed out that one in four drug users in the region is female. Kaduna is pioneering in Sub-Saharan Africa by implementing a comprehensive Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme with support from UNODC.
The meeting, held in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH), included participants from Gombe, Abia, and Oyo states, who shared experiences and best practices. Discussions centered around improving treatment linkages for HIV and hepatitis, expanding Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP), and integrating complementary services into existing health structures.
Hajiya Umma Kaltum-Ahmed, Commissioner for Health, emphasized the importance of supporting women who use drugs as both a moral and public health necessity. She advocated for embedding services such as NSPs and drop-in centres into state systems with domestic funding, moving beyond donor-driven projects to integrate these into the health framework. The state’s ‘Team Health’ approach is designed to promote coordination across sectors.
Kaltum-Ahmed also pointed out that many women avoid health facilities due to stigma and fear of arrest, which undermines efforts to curb the spread of diseases. She reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting their health and dignity.
Other stakeholders at the meeting praised the role of SFH in reducing hepatitis among women living with HIV, emphasizing that health challenges and solutions should extend beyond state boundaries.